Thinkin' about gettin a Tbolt

[Hotweelz]

I know the Tbolt has been out for a little while. But I've been thinking about getting one. I recently got my Fascinate replaced with an incredible 2 and I really like it but I have a upgrade to use. So I've been checking out the Droid3, Charge, DX2 and the Tbolt. Having used the inc2 with sense on it I really like the feel of it. I'm assuming the Tbolt is just a LTE jacked up version of the inc2. Not saying they are the same but similar. One of my daughters is ready for a new phone so I'll give her the inc2 when I replace it.

So I was wondering is there anything that I should prepare for concerning rooting? It's not going to OTA like the Inc2 did and prevent me from rooting is it? I just want to be prepared. I've been reading as much as possible in this forum. Also was wondering if anyone could tell me their experience with the Tbolt. Maybe just pros and cons or something like that. Well thanks in advance on any info or thougts. I'll be digging around some more in this forum.

 

[paintdrinkingpete]

you are right on both accounts...

The Thunderbolt is very similar to the DInc2, but with a larger screen and 4G. (and obviously other subtle differences).

Unfortunately, you're also right about the OTA not allowing root (at least as far as we've heard). The Gingerbread update isn't out yet, but we have been warned that when it is pushed out, current root methods will no longer work. If you're interested in the TBolt *and* you're gonna wanna root it, buy now.

If you are able to root, then get ready for one awesome device... That's all I have to say.

 

[bjboucher]

Lots of information is already on here that you are asking but the Bolt is a good phone for the most part. You'll notice issues posted on here but I really think those are the exception to the rule. Mine has been flawless the 4 months i've had it. I would reccomend getting an extended battery if you have 4G in your area though, between the monster screen and the 4G radio, it can eat up battery like no tomorrow. As far as rooting, you should be fine for now. Once/if the 2.3 Gingerbread update comes out though, I've heard they are going to block rooting so if you get it soon, you'll be fine.

 

[paintdrinkingpete]

to add, it doesn't matter if the next update blocks root, as long as you've taken care of that beforehand and installed a custom Rom so that the OTA doesn't get inalled on the device. That seems like common sense to me but I've assumed too much before...

 

[dpham00]

biggest issue i've had is battery life, i have the extended battery, so it's not that much of an issue, except when i use skype which drains the regular battery in less than 2 hours. solid youtube usage will drain fast too, but not as fast. the issue of reboots, data connection issues seem to be taken care of in the latest ota for most people.

 

[Nate Rules]

I am really happy with my decision to get the thunderbolt. I had the Evo but Sprint in phoenix is slower than dial-up so I upgraded to the Sensation on T-mobile. That seemed awesome but i returned it and came to Verizon. The Thunderbolt seems like much more of an upgrade than the Sensation. It was pretty hard to root this thing though. But now I have an awesome phone that will share its internet with my tablet. And Verizon 4g is seriously fast.

 

[dpham00]

I am really happy with my decision to get the thunderbolt. I had the Evo but Sprint in phoenix is slower than dial-up so I upgraded to the Sensation on T-mobile. That seemed awesome but i returned it and came to Verizon. The Thunderbolt seems like much more of an upgrade than the Sensation. It was pretty hard to root this thing though. But now I have an awesome phone that will share its internet with my tablet. And Verizon 4g is seriously fast.

auto-root is pretty straight forward, just follow the directions on the screen.

 

[OhioG]

Auto Root has given a few issues after the recent OTA for me. But doing it manually is super easy and I am a computer noob.

Also its a great phone but with new phones around the corner, if you can wait, id wait.

 

[ceztheday]

i have the inc2 also. Having major signal problems with this thing thu. Getting a replacement shipped on monday. If that one has the same problem,i was thinking about the thunderbolt.. How is the thunderbolt as an actually phone?? signal,call quality...stuff like that.

 

[mannw1977]

I would get the TB. I rooted before update so i wouldn't know what is best there. Once you do root bamf sense 3.0 rc 4.9 is the best I have used. The bionic is coming but blur isn't as good as sense if you ask me. The bionic isn't going to be much faster than the TB. If it was me I would go Thunderbolt. Good luck

 

[sterrac]

This TBolt is my first android device and I love it. It had some issues and they are mostly fixed, battery life is still a bit low but livable. The root process is a bit intimidating but very easy to do(I am a truck driver and therefore of limited intelligence and I did it!). As for not being able to root after the update for Gingerbread, wouldn't the wonderful amazing Dev's find a different exploit to attain root?

 

[craigrn16]

This phone is only a great phone if you root and put on a custom rom. Preferably Bamf 4.9 Or the new Gingeritis. Before root my phone was a slow rebooting mess that couldn't transition from 3g to 4g properly for nothing. Thank you devs now this phone is perfect no issues and sense 3.0 is amazing.

 

[elai1108]

I know the Tbolt has been out for a little while. But I've been thinking about getting one. I recently got my Fascinate replaced with an incredible 2 and I really like it but I have a upgrade to use. So I've been checking out the Droid3, Charge, DX2 and the Tbolt. Having used the inc2 with sense on it I really like the feel of it. I'm assuming the Tbolt is just a LTE jacked up version of the inc2. Not saying they are the same but similar. One of my daughters is ready for a new phone so I'll give her the inc2 when I replace it.

So I was wondering is there anything that I should prepare for concerning rooting? It's not going to OTA like the Inc2 did and prevent me from rooting is it? I just want to be prepared. I've been reading as much as possible in this forum. Also was wondering if anyone could tell me their experience with the Tbolt. Maybe just pros and cons or something like that. Well thanks in advance on any info or thougts. I'll be digging around some more in this forum.

You really can't go wrong with the Tbolt since it has so many great features. This is my first smart phone that actually works as designed (Blackberry is NOT a smart phone imo) and I love the versatility. When I was shopping for a phone, Verizon only had Dinc, Droid X and TBolt so the choice was obvious. Now you have so many more choices but TBolt is still a great option.

Most TBolt owners are probably having battery issues because of 4g but if you run on 3g or wifi, the battery will last significantly longer. I generally run 3g unless I need to download a large file or stream video, which then I would switch to 4g; even on 3g the performance is very good overall. I definitely highly recommend using wifi where possible for maximum efficiency. Since the latest OTA update, my battery life has increased dramatically which is probably due to the improvement in the efficiency of the radio.

Good luck with you decision!

 

[BattleSwine]

The Thunderbolt is the best phone for me. I live near, but not in 4G. Thunderbolt is the only phone on VZW that can do voice and 3G data at the same time. The underlying hardware is very simliar outside of 4G/LTE and larger screen. I do recommend the extended battery from HTC. Battery life was improved by MR2, but I prefer not having to worry all day.

 

[shelby57]

I have had no problems with call quality. Voice and sound both clear and loud. Most times i need to turn sound volume down a little as callers can be heard that well. You should be happy with call quality. Also extended battery is the way to go with the TB even stock.

 

[Hotweelz]

First I would like to thank everyone with their thoughts and input. I have had my Tbolt for about 2 days now. Been able to mess with it for about a day. Haven't had any issues with it at all. Signal and voice quality are better on the Tbolt than anything I've owned previously. Data has been fine. I can't comment on 4G because I don't live in a 4G area. Love the size of this thing, I'm a big guy so it suits me fine. Haven't had any lag, it's been pretty smooth. As far as the battery goes I guess it's ok. I went 16 hours on a full charge with my normal use. I've finally got my first update notification. Been deferring it for now because the phone is running great for me. And I'm wondering if this first update is going to change any of that. I guess it doesn't matter anyway because I plan on rooting and installing a custom rom eventually. So these are my observations for now. I will post more after updating.